


An Alpha's Duty

by Triskellion



Series: NCIS Home Pack [37]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Episode: s04e17 Skeletons, F/M, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2019-03-04 13:58:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13366164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Triskellion/pseuds/Triskellion
Summary: AU and mostly following cannon events: A bomb that is not a bomb, relationships that are/are not relationships, and a tall girl who isn't short enough. Or something like that.





	An Alpha's Duty

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I was going to write some kind of angsty overlay to this episode, but... eh. Trust me, watch it with the situation in mind and the angst is all right apparent. So instead, I decided to start diverting from cannon a bit more. AKA, Marty Pearson, who was written out of the story when the actor passed away. I've decided that in my world there was angst, but not because he shut down the relationship. I completely rewrote one of the scenes in the episode, but assume the rest are about the same.

Gibbs waited as Hollis ran off to chase the newest clue. He stayed. The case was warming up, but it would take even McGee a few minutes to chase up a lead. And Abby clearly needed to talk.

“Don’t you have work to do?” Abby snapped after both far too long and far to short a time. 

Gibbs waited. Watched Abby fidget.

“Look. It’s not something you can fix in the classic Gibbs ‘hit-and-run’ style, okay?”

“I got time, Abs.” 

Abby shifted, leaning back toward him, then forward against her bench. “It’s stupid.”

Silent, Gibbs set a hand on her shoulder, thumb pressing against her neck under her collar.”

“It’s a guy,” she said, finally leaning back, resting her head against him. “I like him. I really do. But there are so many potential issues. And I don’t know if I want to get serious.”

Gibbs waited, rubbing his thumb gently along her neck and letting her breath.

“I mean, he’s smart, and he understands me more than anyone I’ve ever met. Even McGee. But we’re so different. I’m all tall, and goth, and well… me. And he’s so small, and cute, and… just… how would we ever design a place we’d both be comfortable living? Assuming we made it so far as to live together. I mean, we haven’t even slept over. He’s never seen the coffin, and I’ve never dated this long without introducing a guy to the coffin.”

Abby fell silent, and her neck tensed along the front, the way it did when she was biting her lip.

“What if he doesn’t like the rest of me?” she whispered.

Gibbs pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Then he doesn’t deserve you.”

“Should I continue this? I don’t know. I mean, he has great taste in flowers, and he keeps letting me borrow his equipment.” She spun around fast, eyes up and dancing like she’d just found aliens. “His lab is sooooo amazing. I mean, he’s got stuff in there I’d kill for. And it’s all sized perfectly for him, and I’m so jealous.”

She paused and pouted, and Gibbs set his hands on her shoulders again. “What if I just like him for his lab? That wouldn’t be fair to him.” 

Gibbs gave her a look.

“No, that doesn’t sound like me. But how do I know? I mean, I’m not exactly the most discerning dater, and he deserves better than to be strung along.” The puppy dog eyes she gave him always reminded Gibbs of Shannon.

Or Tony.

“Dinner,” Gibbs said.

“We’ve had dinner. It was very good. But that’s not a deciding factor for a long term relationship.”

Gibbs snorted. “With me.”

Abby blinked. Ducked her head. Blinked again. And tilted her head, leaning into his touch. “You offering to vet him for me?”

Gibbs smiled.

Abby threw her arms around his shoulders. “Thank you, thank you. I know you’ll just know after you meet him. I should have realized your gut would be a good litmus test. Should have started using it years ago.”

Gibbs chuckled. He wasn’t the best at choosing in relationships. But he’d know if this guy was another Mauher, he’d know. And seeing how this guy dealt with him, well, that would be telling too. 

“Thank you, Gibbs. You always know just what to say.” 

The moody Abby that had disturbed the team so much was gone. Thank goodness. Gibbs pressed a kiss to her forehead and nudged at her neck again.

“Right, next time I’ll come straight to you.”

“Good idea.”

~o0o~

The case was over. The criminals were in their cells. And Mann was gone, thank goodness. Tony hustled to grab the elevator before Gibbs left on another coffee run while everyone worked on their reports.

“You done with your report?” Gibbs snapped as the doors closed with Tony inside.

“Almost.” Tony said nonchalantly, slouching against the wall.

Gibbs slapped the emergency stop. And waited.

“Abby seems to be in a better mood.”

“Boy troubles.” The words were said lightly, but with a frown.

Tony straightened, more at parade rest, ready for action.

Gibbs waved it off. “She’s confused by the possible seriousness of this one. Sounds too geek for another Maulher.”

“Got a name we can do a background on?”

“Marty Pearson.” Gibbs gave Tony a firm look. “Don’t ask McGee to look into him.”

Tony only had to think a moment to agree that asking McGee to look into Abby’s new beau was a bad idea. The McGeek was still a little too fond of their forensic scientist. “I’ll handle it.”

“Good. That all?” Gibbs hand went for the emergency stop, but Tony caught it. And then let go as though he’d been burned.

Gibbs held his hand exactly where it had been when Tony made contact.

“You and Mann?” Tony said in response to the glare that accompanied the stillness.

“That a problem?” Gibbs said gruffly.

“No, no problem. I’ll let the team know it might be best to knock. Or call before coming over.” Tony made his own reach for the emergency stop, made contact, and the elevator jolted back into motion.

“Up to them,” Gibbs said, tone returning to normal. “But I’ll close the curtains if she comes over.”

“Noted.” Tony wasn’t sure he’d tell anyone else. The news was mostly for him anyway. And… yeah, it felt kinda nice to know Gibbs would go out of his way to communicate with Tony behind Mann’s back.

The doors opened on the ground floor and Gibbs walked through. He stopped outside, put his hand out to keep the doors open.

“Abby’s bringing Marty to dinner at my place next Friday.”

Tony let his lips curl up in a small grin, saw it matched by Gibbs. Who nodded and stalked off.

A shiver went up Tony’s spine as the elevator went back up to the bullpen. Yeah, Tony was still Gibbs’s second. And it felt damned good.


End file.
